


Time With You

by Creativeanon



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26367928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creativeanon/pseuds/Creativeanon
Summary: Leslie Knope doesn't feel great but Ben Wyatt is determined to do anything he can to help.“I’m still not feeling the best” Leslie concedes, breaking their eye contact and playing with the plastic corner of one of her binders, flicking it between her thumbnail.Ben takes a tentative step closer, he wouldn’t push her if she truly didn’t want to spend time with him but he doesn’t think that what she’s saying is the whole truth. If there’s something he can do to help, he wants to.
Relationships: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31





	Time With You

**Author's Note:**

> Set after 'Road Trip' (3x14) but before 'Lil Sebastian' (3x16)

As far as Leslie is concerned the weather in Pawnee this morning is miserable. The sky is grey and dark, the drops falling from the sky are angry crashing onto the cold concrete of the sidewalk with great force. Driving to work Leslie also felt like absolutely crap, she’d gotten her period yesterday at work and her cramps were the worst they’d been in a while. Her car rolls through the deep puddles that litter the roads, her car windows fogging up from the heat she has blasting through the car vents. 

Her and Ben were suppose to spend the night together last night but Leslie felt so terrible yesterday afternoon that she had to cancel. Their relationship was still extremely new so Leslie didn’t want to give him all the details of what was going on and just told him she wasn’t feeling well, he was so understanding and sent her a message this morning that made Leslie wish he was there when she woke up, she’d imagined him pulling her into his warm chest and listening to the patter of rain together as it hit the cool glass of her bedroom window. 

That daydream was short-lived because Leslie didn’t feel much better this morning than she did yesterday, she switched off her car and sat there for a moment, trying to will herself to go inside and resist the urge to go home and crawl back into bed. She swallowed some painkillers, washing them down with her overly sweet coffee, then making the short dash into City Hall, holding her purse over her head to try avoid the drops that were pelting down from the sky. 

xXx

She throws herself into her work all morning, distracting herself from the constant stabbing pain in her abdomen and the dull ache in her lower back. She has lunch at JJ’s diner with Ann because she needed those sticky golden brown waffles to help brighten her day, she also needed Ben. Ben would definitely brighten her day. They hadn’t told anyone about their relationship, Ann is the only one to know about the two of them, not only because they technically aren’t allowed to date but also because everything is still so new and they’re still figuring each other out. 

At four o’clock there’s a meeting in the conference room, she gets there promptly at half past three so she can set up and go over her notes for half an hour. Chris and Ben walk into the department just before four and she can hear Chris call out to everyone, inviting them into the conference room. Ben takes the seat next to Leslie and they both smile subtly at each other, god she wishes she could kiss him, she’s sure that would make herself feel better.

After she pitches some of her new ideas for possible projects to the group she takes her seat again, she can feel the painkillers wearing off and she just can’t get comfortable. She keeps readjusting in her seat, finding a position that numbs the pain for a split second before it no longer works. Ben’s eyes keeping drifting over to her, he’s trying to meet her eyes but Leslie is purposefully avoiding his gaze. 

She hears the chair wheels before she realizes what’s happening, Ben has ever so slightly moved his chair closer to Leslie’s but not close enough for anyone else to notice. Both their bottom halves are concealed by the large wooden table so Ben takes this opportunity to place a reassuring hand on Leslie’s thigh. Ben is not a big guy but in comparison to Leslie’s small frame his hand dwarfs her upper leg, his wide palm spanning the top of her thigh, his thumb tracing slow circles on the outer section while his fingertips rest on the inseam of her dark slacks. It’s scary how comforting that small amount of touch is to Leslie, she’s still uncomfortable and slightly in pain but it’s suddenly more bearable with each caress or squeeze of his hand. 

The meeting begins to wrap up just after five o’clock and Ben pulls his hand away from Leslie, she lets out an audible groan of displeasure at the loss of his touch. “Yes, what an amazingly productive meeting Leslie Knope, sometimes it’s sad to see them come to an end” Chris responds, completely misinterpreting the real reason for her displeasure.

The other members of the department simply roll their eyes at Chris’ constant enthusiasm and start shuffling out one by one. Chris makes some comment about how they should all enjoy there evenings and that he’s headed off for his fourth run of the day. 

Leslie’s coworkers don’t usually stay long after five and make quick work of gathering their things so they can head home. Leslie takes her time packing up her notes, ensuring they stay neat and organised, she notices that Ben is taking much longer than necessary to shut down and pack up his laptop. 

The silence isn’t awkward but Leslie can sense that Ben wants to say something so she waits him out, sliding each booklet back into their corresponding binder. 

“Let me cook you dinner tonight?” Ben asks, after scanning the department thoroughly to make sure no one could hear him, only Jerry and April were left and she was busy tormenting him about something he did earlier on in the day. 

Leslie smiles at him, but it doesn’t quite meet her eyes, “Ben, I’d love that but I really don’t think I’d be great company tonight, I’m-“ She hesitates for a moment, she would really like to spend time with Ben but she honestly knows the way guys deal with this kinda stuff, they get awkward and uncomfortable and she’d rather not deal with that right now. 

“I’m still not feeling the best” Leslie concedes, breaking their eye contact and playing with the plastic corner of one of her binders, flicking it between her thumbnail. 

Ben takes a tentative step closer, he wouldn’t push her if she truly didn’t want to spend time with him but he doesn’t think that what she’s saying is the whole truth. If there’s something he can do to help, he wants to. When she finally sat still after he placed his hand on her thigh during the meeting he wanted to give himself a high-five and the sound she made when he removed it did boost his ego a little. 

However Ben has a sister, he has a pretty sound idea of what’s going on, Stephanie use to get terrible cramps and even had to take days off school when they got really bad. He understands that Leslie is still getting to know him, still trying to figure out what this was between them and he understands why she’s being coy. He doesn’t want to put her in an awkward position if she really does want to be alone but he knows he can help, he can make her feel better. “I don’t have to cook, we could get take out? I could give you a back rub? Or- or we can watch Harry Potter? Anything Les, I just-“ he sounds desperate, he knows that but he sees a small smile start to overtake Leslie’s face, while she’s still looking down at her binder. He takes another step towards her, both now in each others space. He places his hand on the table and bends down to bring his face closer to hers, trying to persuade her to look at him. 

“- wanna spend time with you” Ben finishes, his voice just above a whisper. She finally meets his eyes and the way he’s looking at her makes her want to lean in and press her lips against his and if they weren’t standing in the middle of the conference room she probably would of done it. 

“Dammit Jerry!” 

The pull apart quickly at the sound of Aprils voice. Ben straightens his back, eyes darting around the department as if remembering where they are, but Leslie is still staring at him a worrying lip pulled between her teeth. 

“Meet at mine in an hour” Leslie picks up her bag and walks past him. She looks back when she walks out the conference room door and sees Ben hurriedly packing the rest of his stuff. 

xXx

Leslie steps into the warm spray and lets out a long breath as the water hits her sensitive skin. She works through her routine slowly, lathering up her sweet body wash and massaging her flesh. She combs her fingers through her hair, running the conditioner over the tendrils until its smooth and slipping through her digits easily. When she steps out of the shower the steam engulfs her, she can hear her phone vibrating on the vanity and rushes to answer it already knowing who it is. 

“Hey sorry I’m just getting out of the shower, the front door’s unlocked”

“Okay” Ben replies when he actually wants to scold her for leaving her door unlocked while she’s in the shower, but he’ll leave that for now knowing she’d just respond with a statistic about how low the home invasion rates are in Pawnee. 

It feels weird entering her house without her there to greet him with a kiss, when he pushes the door open he’s met with her familiar space, cluttered with boxes and birdhouses and other miscellaneous objects that don’t make any sense. Her small black heels are discarded at the base of the stairs and he almost trips over them as he struggles to see over the pizza boxes his currently holding in his hands. 

He walks through to the kitchen to place the three boxes down, the first box is a JJ’s special Mac and Cheese pizza which Ben wants to try recreate some day, the second box holds a calzone which he knows Leslie will make fun of him for but will try and steal bites of it every so often. The final box is a dessert pizza that is topped with enough sweetness it’ll leave your teeth gritty. 

He moves around her kitchen expertly, remembering what cabinet the plates are in and what draw holds the mismatched cutlery, laying it all down on her coffee table. 

Leslie descends the stairs in loose sweats and a Pawnee Goddesses zip-up sweatshirt. She originally had on jeans but took them off as soon as the button was done up, the pressure on her abdomen being way too uncomfortable. She also had to create a full pros and cons list in her head on whether to wear a bra or not. Pros to not wearing a bra, she’ll be way more comfortable and she’s worn one all day so she deserves it. Con, Ben may notice and usually this would be a pro but not in her current situation because if he wants more she doesn’t know if she would be able to be the rational one and refuse him. 

She stalls at the bottom of the staircase watching Ben move around her space so comfortably, his perfect, perky butt straining against the dark denim of his jeans. She walks into the kitchen and wraps her arms around his slender waist, resting her hands on his flat stomach and leaning her forehead between his shoulder blades. 

“Hey” Ben jumps slightly but places one of his hands over both of hers, “How are you feeling?” Ben asks, rotating around in her arms, Leslie nods and her face splits into a smile “Better”.

Ben notices her hair is wet from the shower, making her usual bright gold strands darker, he threads one of his hands into Leslies damp hair and her eyes slip close. He can’t resist leaning in and because they are in the privacy of Leslies home he does, their lips meet tenderly.

Leslies index finger trails down Bens side and curls in the belt loop of his jeans, tugging him closer to her. This is dangerous territory, she knows that but she loves the feeling of Ben pressed up against her. 

The hand that’s not in Leslies hair traces her jaw, his thumb rubbing circles against her cheekbone. Bens tongue traces the seam of Leslies lips and she parts willingly but only for a moment before she’s pulling away, one hand placed firmly on the center of his chest. 

“Sorry, I just-“

“-No, no don’t worry” Ben reassures, ignoring the awkward moment he continues “I got us some dinner, I’ve set it up in the living room,” he pauses as if reassessing his next words. He removes himself from her embrace and turns to the microwave pulling out a heating pad he’d brought over.  
Leslie could cry and because of her hormones she almost does. Wonderful, perfect, sensitive Ben, of course he wasn’t like any of her other partners, he’s not uncomfortable or awkward about the situation, he’s a mature adult. Leslie’s heart swells and adoration takes over her face, “Thank you” she whispers, holding his eyes trying to convey her emotions. 

xXx

After the first Harry Potter movie the mac and cheese pizza has since been devoured and Ben has abandon the rest of his calzone. Surprisingly Leslie doesn’t dive straight into the dessert pizza after their meal, instead she gets the second movie ready while Ben cleans up the empty boxes and reheats the heating pad. 

When Ben walks back into the living room he takes a moment to admire the woman in front of him, she’s completely relaxed in her soft grey sweats, her air dried hair thrown into a messy bun on top of her head, he feels privilege to see her like this. Most of the time she’s dressed so seriously in her perfectly pressed suits and simple makeup however right now she’s barefaced, braless and beautiful, she’s always beautiful. 

He notices that she winces slightly when she pushes off the floor, hand resting on her lower back. She walks towards him and he hands her the heat pack, she kisses him softly on the lips silently thanking him. 

The living room was warm and they settle on the couch again, Leslie curling up against Bens side, throwing her legs over his thigh, he sneaks his hand behind her back moving lower to where she was holding when she got up off the floor. He begins softly brushing his fingertips against her spine, applying slightly more pressure when he notices her leaning into his touch. Leslie lets out a quiet hum of approval when Ben hits a particularly tense section. “Here” Ben states before rearranging their positions, he pulls Leslie the rest of the way into his lap, careful not to jostle her too much so the heating pad stays in place, he parts his legs so she’s sitting between his thighs. He can’t see the television anymore but he doesn’t really care because the warmth of Leslie’s outer thighs pressing against the inner part of his feels better than anything Harry or Ron could be doing. He selfishly takes a second wrapping his arms around her slim waist, pulling her back to rest against his chest and burring his nose into her exposed neck. 

Leaning back into the cushions Ben slides his hands from her stomach to her back, his thumbs pressing deeply on either side of her spine making her fall forward. He works slowly, trying to knead each muscle however he’s finding it difficult with the bulky sweatshirt she still has on. He makes a move to unzip the purple article of clothing to allow him better access when he feels her firm grip on his wrist, halting his movements. 

“I- I don’t have- I’m not wearing anything under-“ “Oh” 

They’re not looking at each other, their current position not really allowing it, Ben stares at the back of her neck, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying- I can just do it better without the sweat-“ 

“No, no I know you weren’t-“ Leslie doesn’t want him to think she was accusing him of just trying to get into her pants, “I’ll just keep going” Ben quickly replies, trying to return to his original task but she doesn’t let go of his wrist, she’s keeping it pinned to her chest. It would feel so much better without the thick material blocking Bens capable hands, she tugs gently on his wrist encouraging him to pull the zipper down. 

Ben takes a deep breath to calm himself and continues his previous action.

He can’t see it but the sweatshirt is open in the front, Leslie makes no attempt to push the clothing off her body so Ben moves his hands to her shoulders, pushing it slowly down until it catches in the crease of her elbows. Ben stops and gives Leslie the option to either leave it there or completely rid herself of it, it takes only a beat before she tugs it off her arms and allows it to pool around her waist. 

Ben marvels at the smooth expanse of her skin, dusted with freckles, he can’t stop himself from leaning forward and connecting his lips to her creamy skin. His hands begin to work against her muscles again, remembering to focus on what he was doing and not the sight of her bare form. 

This was extremely intimate, Leslie has had a few sexual partners in her lifetime, whether it was a one night stand (that happened very, very rarely) or a longterm boyfriend. But never in her life had she felt this level of intimacy with a partner. She didn’t feel like Ben was trying to pressure her into anything, he was simply doing something for her without any expectation of something in return. 

This was a different level of intimacy Leslie had never experienced, she was vulnerable but totally at ease. He’s hands felt so good against her aching flesh and she let her eyes slip shut at the sensation of his long fingers, a tiny moan slipped from her lips. 

Leslie’s slender waist was enveloped by Bens fingers, his thumbs digging into her lower back. He could feel the heat radiating off of her body and it’s making his pants tight, but he couldn’t let her feel it so he scooted back a little but Leslie just followed his movement pressing her backside between the apex of his thighs. 

She felt it about five minutes in, the familiar feeling of Ben poking her right at the base of her spine, she was appreciative that he tried to conceal it by moving away from her but she’d be lying if this whole situation wasn’t turning her on as well. She scolded herself, this was one of the main reasons she didn’t want Ben to come over, because she has no self control when it comes to that cute face and gorgeous butt. 

She sits forward slightly and twists her body so she’s half facing Ben, “I could honestly sit here all night and let you do that to me but I think we should probably stop before I no longer have any self control” She glances downwards, also referencing his own arousal. 

Ben is trying really hard to listen to her, but her current position gives him the slightest view of the side of her breast, the creamy skin aching to be bitten. He gulps and quickly draws his eyes up to meet hers, nodding abruptly. 

Her eyes are hooded “Screw it, we can at least make out”, Leslie shifts energetically into his lap, bracketing her knees on either side of his thighs, leaning in to wipe the dopey look of Bens face. 

xXx

Leslie wakes to the gentle patter hitting her glass windows, her bedroom still incased in darkness, she lays there silently with her eyes still closed listening to the droplets fall. She feels the weight of his arm around her abdomen and can hear his quiet snores, it’s so comforting and it’s the first time in days she hasn’t woken up in pain with the need to stay in bed, no now the need is for a totally different reason. 

She spins under his arm causing his grip to tighten and his brow to furrow, he settles again and Leslie’s eyes scan his face. He’s incredibly good looking, his dark features and structured jaw make him look serious however it’s counteracted by his pouty lips and long eyelashes. 

“I can feel you staring” Ben groggily states with his eyes still closed and face relaxed. 

Leslie smirks, leaning in slowly to peck those pouty lips, making the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. “How’do you feel?” He mumbles with eyes still sealed. “A lot better” Leslie pauses, “thanks to you” that gets his eyes to open, his dark sleepy eyes finally meeting hers. 

They’re both recalling the previous night on the couch, a frenzied make out session that left Leslie with light purple marks all over her chest and probably her knees from when she dropped between his spread legs and thanked him for making her feel better, not because she felt like she had to but because she wanted to. 

“Mmmm anytime” he murmurs while sliding his hand beneath Leslie’s sleep shirt, grazing the smooth skin on her hip. 

Leslie curls into his chest, burrowing her face into the crease where his shoulder meets his neck, and leaving a delicate kiss just below his ear lobe. 

She can’t believe she deprived herself two days of Ben Wyatt being the most perfect boyfriend ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
